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Mitch Lipka is one of the nation's leading consumer journalists. He writes the consumer column for The Boston Globe, and also contributes to Reuters and CBS News. He was the 2010 recipient of the New York Press Club award for best consumer reporting online.

Federal officials said the outfits were selling listings in "worthless business directories," often pretending to be from the local yellow page directory. To hide their true location, the FTC said the three used addresses scattered around the U.S. -- from Jersey City, N.J. to Phoenix.

The companies used names including National Yellow Pages Online and Reed Publishing. They solicited payments of $400 or more -- often strong-arming the businesses and charities, the FTC said.

In its complaint, the FTC said the operations misled the businesses by claiming to have done business with them previously and had agreed to do business again as well as trying to collect on debts that weren't really owed.